YES WE CAN!!!

you’d have to be a katak di bawah tempurung (essentially living under a rock) to not understand the import of the events of the past 36 hours–Barack Obama’s victory is probably one of the most noteworthy events of the 21st century so far. this is it people–we’re seeing history in the making.

i stayed up until 12.30 (way past my bedtime) to watch both McCain and Obama deliver their concession and victory speeches respectively, and i thought that they were both great. McCain was incredibly gracious and he seemed so sincere, which i think was a great way to end a campaign that really showed somewhat of an awful side to the man. this is a far better McCain to leave the race with, and to leave the rest of the world remembering. Obama’s speech, on the other hand, was just off the charts. i’ve never personally been a fan of the myth of America–i find the American Dream to be somewhat of a sham, and the manner in which the US goes around purporting and “spreading” democracy somewhat distasteful and unethical. the president elect’s speech, however, blew both my socks and my bedroom slippers off. i will even admit that several tears were shed.

so, some highlights:

“But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to — it belongs to you.

[...]

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth. This is your victory.”

(those lines i’ve bolded really reached out to me–not only did it remind me of Malaysia and how it was  this generation’s youth that really mobilized themselves over the internet and inspired tonnes of new voters [so true about rejecting the myth of our generation's apathy! we are the leaders of tomorrow, and our leadership starts TODAY!], but also that it spoke directly to the kind of work i do right now, and the spirit of service that he spoke so well about in his commencement address during my graduation. these days i work from 7.30-5.30 everyday and get paid very little, and it is very easy to feel discouraged. Obama’s words, however, really did make me feel that our work is both recognized and appreciated, and it did kind of renew my energy for my work. i mean, i know that he was mostly talking about work directly related to the campaign, but i do feel that what we do is a part of it. )

other fave moments:

“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.”

(sound applicable to Malaysia, anyone?)

and the following part of his speech is the only time i’ve ever felt like i’ve believed in the greatness of America, that there is worth behind the buzzwords we hear all the time–Ideals, Democracy, Liberty and Opportunity… and i am so hopeful for where this man will bring his country, and for what this could mean for the rest of the world.

“And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America — that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.”

so…here’s to a man who has inspired a generation of hope…and hoping that he creates this new America and new world that really is for all of us.

hooray for Obama! Obama for yo’ Mama!

YES, MALAYSIAN STUDENTS OVERSEAS… YOU CAN VOTE!!!

Check this out…detailed instructions on how to vote if you’re a Malaysian student studying in the UK. Might take a while to sort out the paperwork, so get cracking early!

For students in the US and Australia or anywhere else, we still haven’t quite figured out how to do this, but I think a good step would be to call the Malaysian Embassy.

Elections are in… slightly over 2 weeks! Let’s get this movement started–show them that the youth are a force to be reckoned with, and that we’re no longer going to stand apathetically by while they royally screw up the country we love and call home…and that we’re not dumb enough to fall for their sneaky underhanded oh-soooo-last-century electoral fraud nonsense! Let’s make Malaysia the democracy it claims to be!

Exercise your right to vote!!!!!

elections coming up!! what to do??

 from a friend:

in lieu of the upcoming elections-i am in trepidation of change-is it good-is it necessary?

my subsequent email response:

i think that everyone’s afraid of change, and for many reasons. i think
that with any change of government there’s always a very difficult interim
period where the new govt tries to sort itself out in terms of governing
an entire nation, and that there are a lot of teething problems, often
manifested in horrible occurrences like riots, ethnic violence etc. we all
know that this is exactly what we don’t want–we don’t want the country
torn apart in such a way again. and i think that this is a valid concern
if the opposition wins the majority vote. not because i have no faith in
an opposition govt, but because i feel that the nation isn’t ready for
such a change yet–tensions are high, and divisions feel more concrete
than ever before.

that said, i honestly don’t think that anybody really thinks that the
opposition stands a chance to actually win in these elections. there isn’t
enough freedom of information or awareness out there for the opposition to
get their message through to most of the rakyat. so i’m not really worried
about the possibility of that kind of change.

another kind of change that i am all for, however, is a change in the
composition of parliament. currently (at least until parliament was
dissolved today), BN holds 92% of the seats in parliament, which
translates into somewhat of a dictatorship in terms of parliamentary
control and action. no matter what country you’re talking about, 92% is
kind of a ridiculous amount for a democratic country. it was a vote of
confidence in pak lah in the 2004 elections, and unfortunately, i would
say that he has betrayed this confidence and let the nation down.

what i would like to see, then, is a change in the way our government does
things. when they control so much of parliament it’s very easy for them to
get their way and pretty much do whatever they want. there aren’t enough
opposition members in parliament to force the ruling party to be
transparent in their affairs, or to ensure that the government is held
accountable for its actions/misdeeds. the only way to do this is to ensure
that they do not maintain their 92% majority, and to make sure that they
no longer have veto power (more then 2/3 seats in parliament). how can we
do this? by electing enough opposition MPs into parliament to ensure that
different voices are heard at the governmental level, and to make sure
that as many real malaysians as possible are represented in parliament.

so that’s my dua sen. you know which way i’m leaning. hope this wasn’t
too long and cheong hei. if you got all the way here, congratulations! now
if only my papers were this easy to write.

Did you know that many Revolutions began in little cafes?

Yep. Little smoky cafes in political strife-ridden French cities once hosted not only the innovative and revolutionary minds of the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir, but also the coming together of such minds–to examine and discuss the politics and issues of the times, then brainstorming ways they could fight a seemingly insurmountable enemy. And although they may not have stopped any wars, the Surrealists changed many, many minds…and who knows, may have really impacted either the course of the war, or the rebuilding period after it.

The Malaysian equivalent of these smoky Parisian cafes? The humble local mamak stall.

I just attended a session of Adil Sembang tonight, with my brother and some other rather cool and interesting people, at Maju Curry House in PJ. Adil Sembang is basically just meant to be a neutral space in which people can gather to talk about Malaysia, politics, what we can do to make our Malaysia a better Malaysia, and anything else really. It was actually really kind of great to meet new people who were so knowledgeable and more importantly so passionate about Malaysia–that always rejuvenates my revolutionary spirit. This is something I kind of want every Malaysian to feel–that although it may be an uphill battle, there are still loads of intelligent, passionate people who are willing to make the trek with you. But while they’re supporting you, you need to support them too. One way you can do this: read here.

And, have your own little Adil Sembangs (or just discussions, or mini-debates, or whatever, really) at your own local mamak stalls with your friends/family/random strangers. I think that I’m going to try to organize a few of these on the East Coast in America next semester…if you’d like to help, or attend, build a network, or anything really, let me know! Drop me a line here, email me, whatever. I think that we could make an Adil Sembang US work.

2008, word…

So…guess what, it’s finally 2008. Those numbers so often tacked onto the end of my name, at the end of an email, signifying–dramatically, Sir? Dramatically!–the year in which I would no longer haunt the hallowed halls of what would then become my alma mater, and instead, be thrust rudely and immediately into the world that purportedly exists outside the Wesleyan bubble…into the ranks of the either gainfully employed, or the scared shitless because they don’t know what they’re doing with their lives. Oh yes. Graduation is upon us. *DUMDUMDUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM* Oh horror of horrors!

But more of that I’m-a-senior-who’s-gonna-wake-up-and-realize-that-she-spent-four-years-
learning-all-sorts-of-interesting-things-that-have-no-bearing-in-the-real-world angst later.

It is also, of course, a new year. And with a new year comes the going of an old one. So here’s a little recap, and a tribute, to the year that was 2007 in the life of Cristabel (woah I nearly spelt my name with an H there…see how much this new years business is throwing me off).

Firstly, I’ve actually had one heckuva year. I think that I’ve spent around 80-100 hours in planes over the course of the last 12 months, lived in four different places, traveled to 4 different continents…well, yeah. Here’s this thing that LT did on her blog, and seemed to me a pretty darn efficient way of reflecting upon the past year: things done, not done, undone, well done and to-be done. So, here goes. Get ready for the rollercoaster ride that was my 2007. Haha.

Done:
Studied abroad in London (also visited Italy, Spain, France, and Egypt while there; reconnected with friends from home; wrote a 4-page Surrealist comic for class)
Became new aunty to babies Marcus and Matthew, and also Godma to baby Eva (all three kids on different continents, btw. And also crocheted baby things like mad for said babies!)
Registered to vote (also discovering a million new things about Malaysian politics, talking to lots more people about the state of the Malaysian state, having a brother detained under the OSA)
Started doing Bharatanatyam and Javanese dance again. And did Ebony Singers for the first time! Even played Karaoke Revolution in front of a bunch of people during summer!
Threw myself back into Alpha Delt (was doing a job that took a lot out of me but also gave back copiously. I now understand myself and other people a lot better)

Not done:
Lost weight (let’s face it, kind of never going to happen. I am morally opposed to going to the gym)
Made any money (although this doesn’t mean that I’ve been slacking)
Raised my GPA (sigh…another “not done” thing is stopping worrying about my grades)
Seen my sister in a play (that kinda sucks)
Actually physically shown my support for the political causes I believe in (not my fault, though–in different country lah!)
Spent enough time with a lot of friends I care deeply about and really need to reconnect with.
Sorted out photos I’ve promised to people (if you’re reading this, and I owe you pictures, just keep bugging me. You’ll get them eventually, I swear)

Undone:
Heh. An unhealthy attachment?
An equally unhealthy tendency to be terribly judgemental?

Well done:
Summerbridge Sacramento 2007!!!!!!!! (amazing experience…great faculty, great kids, great place, and amazing program. Definitely one of the most difficult but rewarding times of my life…thanks to this internship, I feel that I could actually be a teacher, and that I actually want to. Also lots of soul searching and some facing of personal demons)
Backpacking in Nicaragua (was just a great experience–awesome travel buddies, and met some really interesting strangers along the way)
128B Church (I love living with you guys. But I am sorry the living room is always so messy)
Actually able to have conversations with kids. And no longer afraid of making faces at babies cos I think they’ll hate me. Just no longer afraid to be wacky in general.

To be done:
Get a job! Which means finish up applications, get ready for some interviews…the whole shebang.
Finish off my university career feeling that I’ve gotten as much out of my Wes education as I could have. Or at least that I enjoyed every minute of it, particularly the slightly useless ones.
Save the world. At least try!

So that’s all I can think of at the moment…it’s really late and I’m really rather pooped from getting back from a whirlwind experience of Phuket, complete with rolling oceans, lots of shopping, and seahorses. I hope to add a highlights of 2007 section soon. But maybe I should also stop living in the past and start blogging about 2008. Til then, Au revoir, and Guten nacht!

History repeats itself

England in 1819
Percy Bysshe Shelley

An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying King;
Princes, the dregs of their dull race, who flow
Through public scorn,–mud from a muddy spring;
Rulers who neither see not feel nor know,
But leechlike to their fainting country cling
Til they drop, blind in blood, without a blow.
A people starved and stabbed in th’ untilled field;
An army, whom liberticide and prey
Makes as a two-edged sword to all who wield;
Golden and sanguine laws which tempt and slay;
Relgion Christless, Godless, Godless–a book sealed;
A senate, Time’s worst statute, unrepealed–
Are graves from which a glorious Phantom may
Burst, to illumine our tempestuous day.

OMG, sound familiar?? I happened to be reading this for class today, and well, you can see how hard it hit home. “Golden and sanguine laws”: laws bought with gold and leading to bloodshed. “Rulers who neither see nor feel nor know”–how could this not remind you of the officials in our country who claim to be for the people and yet do nothing for them. It ends, of course, with a “glorious Phantom…to illumine our tempestuous day”–a call to the people, a call for a Revolution that will take the country out of its misery.

Hindraf

So I hope that many of you (especially, but not only Malaysians) are keeping up to date with all the brouhaha that’s occurring in Malaysia… with the Hindraf rally, and much more alarmingly, the government’s response to the rally. Read about what’s behind the rally in the first place, and my brother’s view on the importance of the nation uniting to march.

Then read his account of how the rally went, and take a look at the pictures he took, for an on-site look at the event.

Then take a look at this youtube video of the story that was run on al-Jazeera:

Absolutely, absolutely frightening. I’ll admit that when I read my brother’s recounting of the event I didn’t quite get the magnitude of the experience, and actually just how frightening it was. The chaos of the al-Jazeera videos really hit home–the FRU’s firing of tear gas canisters sounded like gun shots and looked like grenades… Malaysia looked like a war zone.

My mom sent me and my sister an email and she put the entire experience rather poignantly:

“nat’s home…..quite an ordeal he went thru’. it’s a tough cause he chose, and it’s so painful for us to watch.  sending him off to the lrt this morning was like sending son off to battle….only in this case it is within your own country…….and against the people you have voted in to protect you and the country.”

Makes me glad that I’ve never been eligible to vote until now. Although I do know that young, Form 5 Sejarah textbook-propaganda-filled, naive Cristabel that I was, I used to be all for BN… Mahathir with his corruption etc. was a visionary and really did do a fair amount of good things for the country.

But now, things have changed. The ruling coalition can do no more good for us, because they are no longer for us. Well, kids…you know what to do: vote. And pray–pray for the people ready to do the fighting so many of us are afraid to, pray for their safety and well-being. Pray for our country… because it sure as hell needs all the help it can get.

:|

Clearly, a rally for free and fair elections in Malaysia has to be illegal.

BERSIH rally at Dataran Merdeka…History in the Making, y’all!

So right now, there’s a rally in Dataran Merdeka, sponsored by BERSIH in support of a fair and free election–hopefully you’re there! Some background:

According to suarakeadilan.com, around 40,000 people turned up, which is wonderful. What is not so wonderful, however, is that (according to their very helpful hour by hour updates, and Al-Jazeera ), so far today, police have

a) fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters gathering outside Masjid Jamek to get to Dataran Merdeka
b) arrested KeADILan leaders in Penang
c) arrested 80 protesters at Dataran Merdeka

among probably definitely numerous other misdemeanors. Me? I’m too far away to really do anything. But I will say that as extremely upsetting as this is, I am so so soooo impressed by and proud of the thousands (even tens of thousands) of Malaysians who turned up to SHOW the government that their tactics regarding elections are UNFAIR and CORRUPT and WE KNOW IT. I had just been talking to GS today about how difficult it is to raise awareness and to change minds, and to mobilize people in Malaysia…without realizing that we were being proven wrong as we spoke. There is hope for Malaysia yet! I hope that the Rakyat realizes the immense power that lies in the hands of people who care enough to try to make a difference, and who aren’t afraid to make a stand in the face of the govt’s scare tactics–their hands.

This is an important time for Malaysia…extreme circumstances and a burgeoning awareness of how f***ed up the government is are slowly chipping away at the general apathy of the nation. We can change this country, and we can do it in this generation. I’m so inspired by you, Malaysia…give me a loving, creamy center to come home to.

I forgive you, I love you

one of my favouritest hymns of all time… I think it’s called “The Prodigal Son,” which is one of my favouritest parables of all time. I’m putting this up not just for you, but for me too!

(me)

Father I have sinned, Help me find my way.
Remember not my sins, Just let me hear You say:

(God)

I forgive you, I love you,
You are mine, take my hand,
Go in peace, sin no more,
Beloved one.

(me)

Father I have turned my back and walked away.
Depended on my strength,
And live life my own way.

(God)

I forgive you, I love you,
You are mine, take my hand,
Go in peace, sin no more,
Beloved one.